The Van Duyne Group is focused on a variety of spectroscopic techniques that exploit localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR) for sensing including SERS, SE-FSRS, TERS, dark field and wide field microscopies. We typically discuss which might be the most adequate plasmonic substrate for each particular project and then carry out its synthesis. For example, part of my research involves the fabrication silica coated gold nanosphere dimers for SE-FSRS projects, and the synthesis of silver nanoparticles in dry organic solvents for SERS measurements. The former system has the advantages of providing “hot-spots”, i.e. large electric field enhancement, by providing small gaps between the assembled nanoparticles as well as colloidal stability towards high laser fluences required for the ultrafast measurements with a silica shell. On the other hand, the second system will permit single molecule SERS electrochemistry studies of Rhodamine 6G in aprotic solvent. In summary, we rationally design plasmonic materials according to their application.

Top: Gold Spheres of varied size illustrating the dependence of the LSPR resonance to the particle diameter. Middle: Gold Nanorod of varied dimensions, illustrating two LSPR resonances and the strong dependence of the longitudinal mode with the aspect ratio (length to width ratio) of the particle. Bottom: pH-trigged Assembly of Gold Nanospheres illustrating the LSPR coupling in dimer clusters.

Professor Richard Van Duyne

Group Members

Professor Van Duyne has, in his career to date, advised a total of 87 graduate students and 47 postdoctoral fellows. Every year, Professor Van Duyne gives a talk to introduce new graduate students to our research. The 2017 seminar slides are available here.

News

Professor Van Duyne was recently named a Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellow by the U.S. Department of Defense to conduct "high risk, high payoff" basic scientific research. Read more here